Everything you need to know about the New Apple iPad Air

The iPad Air is Apple’s lightest and thinnest iPad to date, but it is not just the look and feel of the new design iPad Air that has got everyone talking about it. The stunning iPad Air is only 75 mm thick and weighs just a pound, yet it compromises nothing and brings a faster, clearer user experience. The Retina display screen has been given an upgrade to feature 2048 by 1536 pixels and the device comes complete with the new iOS 7 operating system.

The beautiful iPad Air available from 1^st November 2013 from £399, is yet another work of art from iPad creator Apple and is set to satisfy any iPad lover. From the vital statistics, display and internal specifications, to how it compares to its predecessor, we take a look at this stunning device and give you everything you need to know about the iPad Air.

iPad Air vital statistics

• Weight: 1 lb / 478g
• Display – 9.7inch

• Storage - Up to 128GB
• Operating System – iOS 7
• RAM - Not yet specified
• Camera – 5-megapixels
• Battery Life - 10 hours

Design

The iPad Air has a brand new design, the first significant change that Apple has made to the iPad outer design since the launch of the iPad 2 in 2011. The 3^rd generation and 4^th generation models followed this look and feel with the same curved edges. The iPad 3 and 4 were also heavier than their predecessors as they featured a bigger, heavier battery to support the high – resolution Retina display.

This time however, Apple clearly felt it was time for a change and thus the iPad Air was born. On first glance the iPad Air looks a lot like the iPad Mini but a little larger. Its back cover matches its front bezel and unlike the rounder corners of the iPad 4, it has squarer corners. Previous iPad cases unfortunately won’t fit for the new iPad Air, due to its change in shape, but Apple have designed cases specially for the iPad Air meaning that you can still benefit from the same protection and look you had with previous iPads.

Of course its main design attraction is that it is lighter and thinner than any of the previous iPads which adds positively to its look at feel. In all it is the sleekest iPad yet, and really has to be felt to be believed.

Internal specifications

The iPad Air is the first iPad to come complete with the new operating system iOS 7. Although iOS 7 is now available to download for other devices, the beauty of using it on the iPad Air is that the device was designed to exactly match the new operating system and compliment it perfectly.

The iPad Air features the new A7 chip allowing it to deliver faster CPU and faster graphics and also is similar to the iPhone 5s, in that it has the M7 motion co- processer which can pick up on user movements. There are already a number of fitness apps taking advantage of this technology and there is still much opportunity for newly designed apps. The co-processer also gives the iPad Air an extra degree of intelligence as it can detect whether or not you are walking or driving and can re-route you to an on foot route if you exit your car whilst using it for directions. It also has a touch-rejection algorithm, which means that it can distinguish whether you are simply holding the device or intentionally interacting with the touch screen technology, making it the most intelligent iPad to date.

One thing that hasn’t changed however is the 5-megapixel camera, but there was never really anything unsatisfactory about the iPad camera, and one things that Apple are good at getting right is not fixing what doesn’t appear to be broken – plus they have to hold something back for the next generation iPad Air of course.

Display

One of the most important features of an iPad is its display. Apple has clearly carefully considered this in detail when creating the iPad Air. The width of the device and the bezels on the sides of the display have been reduced, however there has been no compromise on the size of the display. This allows the content to beautifully fill the display like it has with no other iPad. With a 2048 x1536 resolution and over 3.1 million pixels, the photos and videos you view are almost crystal clear and more defined that ever.

How does it compare to the iPad 4?

In terms of design, the iPad Air is 20% lighter and 28% thinner than the iPad 4 and is the thinnest and lightest iPad to date. The design means that the iPad Air simply feels better and the boxier corners and matching back cover, give it a sleek design that sets it apart from the previous iPads. The software has had a redesign also and the iPad Air promises to deliver an enhanced user experience. The A7 chip is the same as the iPhone 5s, designed with 64-bit architecture to give amazing performance results. This allows the iPad Air to deliver up to 2x Faster CPU and 2x Faster Graphics performance than the iPad 4, however even though the device is faster, there is no compromise on battery life or power. The iPad Air also differs from the iPad 4 in that it comes with 2 antennas instead of one and MIMO technology which deliveries up to 2 x faster Wifi. In all, it as a faster, better performing device within a lighter and thinner outer shell.

iPad Air protection

A device as beautiful as the iPad Air requires the right level of protection against both physical damage but also loss and theft. There are a range of protective cases on the market that can protect your iPad Air against scratches a spills.